


Intertwined

by CloakingHawk



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Feywild, Friends to Lovers, Major Original Character(s), Modern Girl in Thedas, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Sort Of, fey, feytouched
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-08-06 15:01:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16389920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakingHawk/pseuds/CloakingHawk
Summary: Souls press against the veil. All eyes turn to Haven. Only the softest of whispers are spoken. Long forgotten powers are once again stirring.  They call to the three.Three women. Three very different worlds will forever be intertwined. The fate of Thedas rests in their hands.Ellora the Doomguild of Kelemvor from Faerun.Danny the farmer’s daughter. A serving soldier in the Australian army.Bell, the Dalish apostate from Clan Lavellan.……………………………… Intertwined………………………………..





	1. Danny – The Rising Sun

**Author's Note:**

> *Takes a deep breath* Sooo here we go.  
> So I ‘am both nervous and very excited about sharing this story with you all, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have writing it. I apologise for Miss Danny’s lovely language in this chapter. I mean its not every day you land in Thedas.  
> I will be adding tags as I go. But I will also make sure I give fair warning when certain parts of the story heads to the more darker side.  
> At the end of the day in the words of Ellora..."There must be dark for there to be light."
> 
> Without further a due Intertwined.

Danny – The Rising Sun

 

Danny gripped the bar above her head as she bopped her head along with the song watching the dirt fields fly by.

 

Voices on the radio sing.

‘She kinda likes it  
A little rough around the edge  
She don't mind if  
I got a little crazy left  
She wouldn't have me  
Any other way  
She likes her horses  
A little harder to tame’

Alex next to her shifted. She turned her head to smile at him.

He met her glance and even with his sunnies on she could just picture the eye roll that accompanied the head roll as well.

‘She always sees it coming  
That look gets in my eye  
That restless spirit running’

She giggled. “Whats wrong Lexie not a fan?” She wiggled an eyebrow at him.

He snorted. “Its country.”

She laughed “I’m country and you like me.”

It was her turn to snort this time as she took in his shocked look. His cheeks turning a beautiful shade of red.

“Leave him alone Danny. We have a long drive ahead of us and its hot enough as it is without the radiating heat of Lexie’s baby cheeks.” Tom called from the drivers seat in front of them.

 

That fire that never dies  
She loves a challenge yeah  
She sure got one now  
Instead of pulling back  
She lets her reins out  
And lucky for me...

 

Danny smiles as she watches Alex shift uncomfortably next to her.

“I’m sorry Alex. You know I’m only teasing. Tell you what you can change the tunes at next check point.” She nudges his side with her elbow.

He smiles at that.

“Just please no death metal shit arghh my ears can’t take it.”

Turning to take in the fields again.

Watching small homes fly by Danny  leans back and listens to the music once again.

         

                             *******************

An hour later they finally started to slow as they reached the check point. Danny felt that familiar coil tighten with in her. There were three cars of what looked like civilians in front of them waiting to be cleared.

Alex shifted next to her. She turned her gaze to Tom in the front seat behind the wheel. He was staring ahead of him.

She shifted leaning slightly over Alex to see out the front window of the hummer. Blocking his view.

“Hey.” Alex moved under her slightly adjusting his grip on the F8 rifle in his hand.

Danny turned smirking at him. She was close to him. She could feel his breath on her cheek.

He turned that beautiful shade of red again.

She turned her attention back to the view out the window. At the sound of a ladies cry. There were kids running around the car in front of them a woman was trying to call them back to her. She could see four soldiers in there familiar uniform around the first car in the process of sweeping it. There were a further three Iraqi security personnel standing at attention around the gates watching them. Rifles in hand scanning the scene. Danny new Nick should be here today he said he was on check point duties here for the next three weeks with his squad.

“What do you think Tomster? Safe to stretch our legs?” She asked Tom.

He took a moment looking around. “Yeah should be right. Rick swap with Adam up top. Alex you jump in the front here with me.” He turned around to face Danny and Alex. “I think you need to let those cheeks of yours cool off a bit if you have to sit next to her for the rest of the trip.” He was grinning ear to ear.

Alex pushed Danny back in to her seat. “Get off.”

Laughing Danny swapped her rifle to her left hand and gripped Alex’s nose giving it a quick tweak. “No screaming shit K.” She let go as she jumped down out of the vehicle. He shifted in to her spot.

“screaming shit it is.” Alex grinned at her.

She just laughed turning away from him. Swapping her rifle back in to her right hand. As she stepped out of his way as he jumped out next to her. 

Phil opened the door in front of them stepping out of the passenger seat. He rolled his shoulders. Stretching out the kinks.

Alex piped up as Danny walked up next to the vet. “You right old timer?”

Phil glanced at Alex with a scowl across his face.

“Come for a walk Phil?” Phil turned his gaze to her. Softening a bit.

“Yeah ok.”

Danny winked at Alex and he actually smiled back at her. Phil and Danny started moving forward.

They had only walked a few paces coming level with the car in front of them which was filled with two women and countless screaming children when Alex call out again.

“Say hi to Ken for me.”

Danny rolled her eyes.

She couldn’t help but notice the side glance she got from Phil.

“Nick.” She kept her eyes forward on the cars and people moving within them.

Phil just nodded his head in understanding as they kept moving forward.

Danny enjoyed working with Phil she was excited when she found out they would be working with him this tour. He was always so straight up with you. No fluff. Always watching ready to correct but happy to teach. No bull shit. she always knew where you stood with him.

They just moved up to the second car. A smaller red sedan. With a worn yellow door. One driver male mid 20’s to early 30’s. Both hands on the steering wheel. Phil was between her and the car as they moved up alongside it.  She made sure to keep her eyes forward. They had just reached the rear of the car being checked. An open roof jeep. Four younger men. They were speaking amongst themselves  but offered a greeting to Phil and her as they neared. Danny smiled in return. Phil replied in Mesopotamian. The man chirped up at his greeting. Danny wasn’t too sure what they were saying but could make out a few words here and there but her attention turned to the two Aussie soldiers making there way back over towards them.

Danny smiled when she spotted Nick but all of a sudden she felt an uneasy settle around her. Making her skin prickle.

 She thought she heard someone whisper her name.

She quickly looked back behind her. The man in the car behind them was still sitting waiting patiently. The women in the car behind that were yelling at the children in the back seat that were waving madly at Tom and Alex.

“Danny hey.”

She turned back around and Nick was standing in front of her.

The other solider had moved up next to Phil and the jeep handing papers over.

She felt it again. A pulse deep within. _Danger you are in danger._

“hey you all right?” Nick asked.

“Hmm.” She turned looked back along the line.

“Danny?” He asked again.

She looked back to him. Tilting her head slightly. “Yeah.”

Then she spotted her over Nicks right shoulder past the check point. A woman. In a what appeared to be a dress of sorts. She was walking away from them but glanced over her shoulder directly at Danny.

Danny stepped around Nick moving towards woman. She didn’t belong here. _How did I know that?_

Danny vaguely heard Nick say something.  But she was moving away from him.

One of the Iraqi soldiers stepped of the gate towards her. But Danny kept her eyes on the woman. She was small. Small frame short in height. She had blonde hair in an intricate braid around her forehead that twisted around behind her and then down her back. Her ears! _What the hell._

But she looked so sad. Her eyes looked with Danny’s.

Danny kept moving towards small woman.

She reached the gate.

The jeep moved off.

There was shouting behind her.

The woman was still walking away from her out past the checkpoint gates.

A blast of air hits Danny followed by shearing heat, blinding light and pain. Everything turned white no sound. Danny is filled with the sense of weightlessness. She can’t breathe.

It’s never ending. The pain riddles her body.

When  she finally can open her eyes again. She finds herself standing on the familiar ridge overlooking Gillies valley.

There’s a storm coming on the horizon.

She can see the rain falling from the clouds as it rolls towards her across the vast plan.

_We need rain._

White shearing pain engulfs her once again.

 She screws her eyes closed trying to breath.

She can feel wind on her face. It’s cold against her tear stained wet cheeks. _Its cold. It shouldn’t be cold._

She snaps open her eyes. She’s still on the ridge. But there’s a man standing with his back to her. His worn Akubra pulled down low. Digger his chestnut stallion grazing next to him.

The storm is closer now.

He’s just staring off at the sky watching the storm clouds.

“Dad?” He doesn’t turn around.

_His hair is greyer then when I left._

“Dad?” He doesn’t move.

Pain claws up Danny’s side. She  can’t help be reach for her side. But she is hit with another blast of white ripping pain which slices deep within her once again.

“Dad. Please!” She gasped.  There’s a familiar iron taste with in her mouth.

He doesn’t turn. Her heart halts.

The pain consumes her once again. She falls to her knees. Clutching her side. It burns. Tears leave her eyes. She can’t breathe.

“Dad” She beg. But he still doesn’t turn.

The pain engulfed her like a raging fire.

White. She fall but she don’t hit the ground.

_Its cold here._

_I’m cold._

_The ground is cold._

The all to consuming pain it crippling she cant move the ringing in her ears is deafening.

_Breath Danny, breath._

she open her eyes. Green. she’s on her side.

Danny tries to clear her vision blink a few times but it dose little to clear her blurry sight. Its hard to focus on anything and the ringing in her ears. She fights back a wave of nausea.

She closes her eyes and wait prying for the feeling to pass.

The ringing doesn’t subside but she can open her eyes again. Still blurry but she can make out a bit of the landscape around her. Its foreign. Black rocks jarring up out of the ground. There are grey like storm clouds above her.

She closes her eyes again.

_Fuck Danny you need to get up. Come on solider on your feet. Up!_

She brace her right arm on the ground in front of her and pushed.

_Shit!_

The pain claws up her spine. She grit her teeth and pushes through. She tries to use her left arm to help but it gives out  under her sending her crushing to the cold hard ground.

A burst of pain erupted behind her eyes. She sucked in a breath.

_Come on Danny. Not like this come on girl._

She gritted her teeth and tried again. She mange to get her knees under her and lifted.

The pain is excruciating. But she manages to get to her feet.

She can’t help but just stand there trying to breath.

Tring to take in her surroundings. None of this makes any sense to her. She can’t focus on anything her vision blurring. She can’t hear anything over this ringing in her ears.

Taking a deep breath Danny start’s trying to move forward each step sends a new wave of pain down her left side.  

Managing to take a few steps forward. She then remembers her radio.

holding down the button on her chest. “Lance Corporal Hunter break in need of med break explosion check point 8 break unknown casualties over.”

She waits. The ringing in her ears is to loud she tries and listens but there is no reply she can hear.

She starts trying to look around. But can’t make out any familiar surroundings. No cars, no land marks.  It dawns on her no rifle.

_Shit Danny shit._

She start trying to make her way forward again. There’s a large black rock jarring out of the ground a few feet in front of her so she start walking towards it.

It feels like miles.

She finally mangers to reach it. Her vision is starting to clear but the ringing remains.

She rests her head against the rock.

Closing her eyes she just concentrates on breathing in and out.

“Fuck. Just fuck.”

There’s the familiar prickingly in her eyes.

“Nope. Arr nope no not now.” Shaking her head willing the tears away. The movement unleased another wave of nausea.

Brace herself against the rock waiting for it to pass.

After a few breaths it slowly subsides. She pushes off the rock using her right hand starts feeling her way around it.

Four steps. Four painful steps and she can now see around it. There is what looks like an open valley before her. Its hard to tell with her sight still blurry but it looks like there are stairs off in the distance.

She moves forward.

_Slow and steady Danny. Slow and steady._

Slowly moving forward. Each step is absolute agony. Clutching her left arm to her chest but a new wave of pain strikes every step she takes. Her breath is laboured.

She manages to make it a  few feet in to the open expanse before she spots  what looks like a body on the ground facing away from her.

Her heart starts racing. Moving forward as quickly as her body would allow.

What little she could make out they were not in a uniform she recognised. But it did looks to be some kind of metal armour?

“Hey there?” _Hey there? Really_.

There’s no movement.

When she finally reach the body Danny started looking for any obvious signs of trauma.

They had deep burgundy coloured hair. Danny slowly easy herself down to person.

“Hi umm can you hear me?”

There was no response. Leaning forward over them Danny could she it was a female in green ragged armour. Not military armour full on Knight in shining armour armour. She couldn’t help but let out a snort.

Danny quickly checked for a pulse.  
_Thank god she has a pulse._

Danny look the woman over a again. There was no sign of injury. But when Danny took in the fallen woman’s ears she gave pause. They were long and pointed like elf ears. Danny let her gloved finger trace the outline of one.

_They’re bloody real. What the hell is going on here?_

“Hey.” Danny used her right hand to apply pressure to woman’s shoulder. “Come on, you need to wake up.”

The woman let out a moan.

“Hey can you hear me?”

Emerald eyes open.

Danny offers a smile. “Hi there.”

The woman’s eyes widen at the sound of Danny’s voice. Quickly siting up she turned to take Danny in.

The elven woman gasped and started shuffling away.

“Woah. Easy there…..”

“No. Not you them.” She points over Danny’s shoulder.

Danny shoot a glance over her shoulder which caused pain to once again slam in to her neck. Causing her vision to blur more.

_Spiders! Fucking huge hairy ass spiders._

 Hundreds of them and they were coming for the two woman. Danny tried to stand but the pain in her side is crippling and causes her to lurch forward.

The elven woman is on her feet.

“Here quick.” She grabs Danny’s right hand and pulls her to her feet.

The fast movement and wave of pain is overwhelming Danny stagger’s trying to keep her balance.

Without an warning the elven woman grabs Danny wrapping a arm around her waist and slings the injured woman’s right arm over her shoulder and starts pushing forward.

 Danny struggled to matching the others woman’s fast pace.

The sounds of thousands of scattering feet mange to break through the ring in Danny’s ears causing the two woman to hurry forward.

A glowing figure appears on the stairs above them. Reaching out to them.

The small armoured elf starts trying to climb the stairs. But Danny struggles with her footing. Causing them to stumble and fall slamming in to unforgiving cold hard rock that is the stairs. Danny holds in her scream. As the fall erupts another wave of pain and nausea.

The two woman scramble forward. The figure holds out an out stretched hand reaching for them.

The elven woman turns to Danny and reaches for her hand. Danny manages to reach forward grip the small woman’s wrist her gloved hand wrapping around its tiny circumference. The elf turns around reaching for the glowing figure. They can hear shrieking behind them it’s growing louder drowning out the ringing Danny’s ears. Pushing forward the elven woman just manages to grabs the out stretched hand of the glowing figure. A burst of golden green light emanates from there grip. Causing Danny to close her eyes again at the bright light. A warm rush of air wraps around her.

A pulse of energy burst with in. She can feel it ripple through her body. Holding on for dear life to the wrist in her grip.

They hit hard ground again.

Danny can’t help but let out a groan.

Opening her eyes she can just make out metal feet stomp towards them.

She can hear voices but can’t muster the energy to move. Her eyes grow heavy. She can feel her self being lifted up.

It sends a shot of pain down her side.

She lets out a whimper and with that she let herself slip in to darkness.

 

                   ****************************

 

_Its cold so damn cold._

Danny lets out a groan. Her whole body aches. Opening her eyes. To a darken world. She can make out what appears to be grey stone wall in front of her. Her head is throbbing.

_Its so cold._

She lets out a shaky breath and watch the white cloud float in front of her.

She just lay there watching her breath forming small clouds before her.

Her mind finally starts catching up. Memories coming flooding back of explosions of pointed ear women of storms and horses.

_Dad_.

She tries to process the strange images in her mind. A dream? No a nightmare? Her arm. She lifted her left arm holding it up to her face. Her glove is intact. Slowly she moves her fingers watching them wiggle and clench in front of her.

_It was a dream. I really vivid dream yep. Just a dream._

She looks past my fingers at the stone wall.

_Stone wall?_

She quickly looks below her she realises she’s lying on straw.

_Straw. I’m lying on straw._

Sitting up her body aches. A flash of memory of shearing pain crosses her mind. Causing her body shakes at the mere thought of it again.

With shaky fingers she reaches out and places her hand on the stone wall. Its solid cold under her gloved hand.

_Its real. Its fucking real._

Fear starts creeping its way back in to her mind, She franticly reach for my field shirt pulling it up, her tanned under shirt is intact. Hands shaking as she reaches for it. Taking a breath she steady’s herself and pulls it up. The cold air bites at her now exposed skin. Looking down she finds her torso intact. Not a mark, not a scar.

_Normal._

But her mind raced. lowering her shirts she starts taking in my surroundings. She slowly turns from the stone wall.

_Bars!_

She scrambles to her feet. Reaching for them.

_Real._ _They’re real too._

 She places both hands on the bars and pushes.

_Real cold. What the hell. I’m in a cell. But I’m uninjured._

Danny starts quickly searching around her for any clues. Its dark, really dark. There’s a torch a few cells over from her lit and its casting a eerie flicker of light around the cells.

_My cell. MY…. Cell. Great Danny, just great. Hey maybe they will let me decorate it and all. Perhaps let me put in a window, let some natural light in. Really open up the space you know._

_Are they stockades? Fuck me there fucking stockades!_

She stumble back. Her back hits the stone wall behind her. She sinks to the ground.

_I’m in a cell. I’m uninjured. It’s cold and there are wooden stockades._

_Ok calm. Calm Danny. Think girl. Think._

_Last thing that felt real?_

_Music. Wind. Music._

_Alex._

_Alex._

Her heart twinges. Soft blue eyes flash before her.

“Alex.” she whisper.

Dropping her head as she feels the familiar prickle in her eyes start.

A rumble tears through the walls. Followed by what sounded like a large explosion. Her body starts to shake. She can’t breathe. Flashes of white balls of shearing pain flash before her eyes. Shearing pain. She can’t stop the shaking.

She can’t catch her breath. Can’t think. White….. White…

*******************************

 

“So they went down and sat on the pier, He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don’t care….” Danny belt out her best rendition of traveling soldiers to the empty cells around her.

She catches what sounds like a door off in the distance creaking to life. But she keep sings to her imaginary audience.

“I got no one to send a letter toooooo. Would you mind if  I sent one back here to youuuuu.”

She can hear footsteps approaching.

“Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii i cried. Never gonna hold the hand of another guy. Too young for him they told her. Waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ solider.”

She watches as two females come in to view and approached her cell. One has cheekbones to die for with raven black hair and is wearing  a metal chest plate. The other has a very stylish purple hood on that partly bathes her face in dark shadow.

“Hi.”  Danny smiles as they come to a stop a few feet off from her cell. She stands up from her straw bed.

“Thank god you’re here. I had to resort to Dixey chicks and we all know where that leads to.”

The two woman just stare at her through the bars.

“I know right. No where good.”

They both blink at the strange woman.

“Umm soooo enough about me and my horrid choice of cell songs.” _Ha cell songs._

Cheek bones for days frowns at Danny and lets her hand brushed against a sword strapped to her side.

“Wow now that’s a mighty big sword.” Danny’s eyes flick from the weapon to raven hair woman’s eyes.

“Do you know why you’re here?” The woman in the hood steps forward slightly. Her eyes unblinking steer at Danny.

“Honestly?” Danny flicks her eyes between the two. “Not really. I’m guessing because I’m a soldier?”

“A solider?” Cheeks says.

Danny couldn’t help but just stare at them for a moment.  She drops a quick glance down at her uniform and then back to them.

“Umm Yeah.” Her confusion must of shown on her face.

“And just whom do you serve?” the woman in the purple hood walks up to the unlit touch in front of Danny’s cell and takes it from its fixture on the wall.

Danny can’t help but be confused. She hadn’t expected women let alone women in metal armour.

Laughing. “Is this a trick question?” They don’t answer. 

“Ok then. Australia.” Tapping the bright blue flag patch on her left shoulder. Turning slightly to show the women.

_Surely they saw it when they brought me here._

She stays staring down for a moment looking at the rising sun patch above her national flag.

When she finally dose rise her eyes to meet there’s again they’re both staring blankly at her.

“Oustralia?” Cheeks spits out.

“Really?” Her eyebrows raise at the miss pronunciation.

_They have got to be kidding me._

“I can’t say I have ever heard of this Australia.” The woman in the hood turns her back on Danny and heads over to a lit torch flickering a few cells away from hers. Danny watched on as she held up the torch in her hand over the other torch. 

Danny turns her gaze to cheeks. Who really wasn’t giving the joking vibe.

“Your serious?” She glanced back to the purple hood woman then back to cheeks.

Purple hood turns and walks back to Danny with her now lit torch. “Quiet.” She raises a delicate eyebrow at her.

“Ok. So I serve the Australian army. The land down under.” She pause the see any signs of recognitions. There was none.

“You know the ones that have amazing beaches, gumtrees…..” She flicked her eyes back and forward between the two. “Kangaroos, Steve Irwin the creators of vegemite and the legendary Arnott’s Tim Tams.” And with that her stomach decided to lets out an all mighty growl.

There just staring at her blankly. The torch in purple hoodies hand crackled.

 Danny’s mouth falls open. “You really don’t know what I’m talking about.”

Cheeks didn’t look impressed at all.

Danny let out a deep sigh. Her head hurt and stomach ached form the lack of food and water. She had no way of telling the time down here. It felt like days. No one had come to check on her until now.

She had thought it was an interrogation technique but now.

_Nope._

“Ok well then let’s cut the crap. If you have no idea who I serve and you clearly didn’t know I was a soldier until just now. Why the heck am I in here?”

Danny step forward and place my hands on the bars.

Cheeks steps forward. Her face has turned a deep red. The snarl on her face.

“Why?” She snaps. “The most holy is dead the conclave destroyed and you ask why you are being detained!”

_I swear she’s foaming at the mouth._

 Danny frown at her words. “What?” She shake her head and glare back at the red faced woman. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Hoddie steps forward and pushes cheeks back a step. The torch still crackling in her hand. “You don’t know?”

“Know what? Know what a conclave is? Know why she’s pissed off at me?” Danny points at cheeks. “Are you talking about the pope? Most holy what?” She snaps.

What little patience’s she has is gone. Tired, hungry and now more confused than ever. Scared.

_Yep scared._

Hoodie face almost seemed to soften. Maybe? Its gone before Danny can be sure.

“What is the last thing you remember?” She asks.

“Remember?” Casting a quickly glance at cheeks.

“Before here?” Purple hood asks.

Danny stopped. Her heart freezes. Mind racing trying to process everything.

“Before here. There was a woman she.” Danny let her hands drop from the bars. “She was unconscious and had these long ears.” She shakes her head and drop her eyes to the ground. “There were these huge.” Motioning with her hands. “Huge spiders and they started chasing us. But I… I … I was hurt I couldn’t move quick enough. She helped me. Then there was this…. Arhh this thing glowing. I think it was a woman. She helped us, reached out to us.” She stop and close her eyes. “Then I’m here. Without my gear intact.”

Danny sighed and open her eyes looking up at the two woman watching her.

Cheeks speaks. “The woman what did she look like?”

Blinking Danny looks at her. She had a strange symbol on her chest plate. “Ohh umm she had deep reddish hair and was in this armour kinda like yours.”

“No not the herald. The other woman.” Cheeks stepped forward slightly asking the question.

Danny raised an eyebrow at her. “The Herald?”

Cheeks drops another ‘I will kill you and I don’t need a sword to do it’ looks. “Arr ok the other one right. Umm she… Its hard to explain. She was slender I think.” Danny shakes her head. “I don’t. It’s all a blur.” She stop and drop my head again. “I think.” Taking a deep breath. “I think I was in a explosion. But.” She looked down at her gloved hands there shaking. Rubbing them against her pant legs.

“There was a explosion at the conclave.” Its hoodie that specks.

Danny looked up. Shaking her head slowly. “Again I don’t know what this this Con-clave is?”

“The conclave was our only hope in ending this war between mages and templars. Divine Justinia.” She stops cheeks, shakes her head and looks back up at Danny and continues. “She was our most holy. Everyone that attended are dead expect the Herald and you.”

“Dead.” Danny’s mouth keeps opening and closing as her brain tries and process everything she just said. “The conclave was a gathering? Mages? Templars?” She raised a gloved hand to her temple and press hoping to easy the pain building in her head. “I. My unit we were at a check point.  I think there was a IED in one of the cars.” Danny’s bottom lip quivered.

_It’s so damn cold here!_

Anger blooms again with in Danny she hates the cold she dropped her hand. “Why is it so damn cold here!”

They both look at each other.

“We are in the Frostbacks. Do you not know where you are?” Hoodie asks.

“I don’t know where the Frostbacks are. Please tell me they are somewhere here in Iraqi. I don’t think my head can take much more of this.”

They share another look. Danny can’t read it.

It’s hoodie that steps forward  this time. She places the torch back in its holding.

“Your unit. What were your objective?”

“Our objective.” Danny looks back down at the flag on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath. she turn her back on them. “what does it matter now?” Walking back over to the straw bed placing her back to the wall and slide down to the floor. She rested her hands across her knees and sat her chin on top of them. Not meeting there stare. “You’re going to tell me you don’t know what Iraqi is aren’t you?”

Silence

“I’m either dead and this is some sort of hell or you’re some crazed cult and you are going to ask for all my bank account details.” She let out a snort at her own words.

“I assure you. You are most defiantly not dead.” Hoodie assures her.

“So you are a cult then? Great just fair dinking bloody great. Well your out of luck. I think I have all of twenty dollars in my account. But hey maybe you can use it to put in some central heating or something”

Danny heard one hell of a disgusted noise leave one of them. It would have put her mum’s to shame.

“Your unit, where are they now?” Hoodie asks.

Danny look up at them. “Why?”

“Why? Why?” Its cheeks.

Danny felt like a switch had been tripped. Angry that had swelled with in her burst forward. Her team for all she knew are dead if not injured. Alex.

  _Alex._

“Yes Why!” snap back cutting cheeks for days off. “You have no damn idea who or what I was and now you want to know where the hell my… MY unit is?” She stood up. Marching herself forward glaring at cheeks. “So unless you tell me why I am in this damn cell and why you wish to know where my unit is. I will not be answering you!”

 Danny held cheeks stare.

Danny suddenly reminded of staring down one of dads bulls. The look they get when they want to moe you over for standing in their way.

Its hoodie that breaks the silences. “Cassandra. Go check on the Herald.”

Cheeks snaps her attention back to hoodie. They just stare at each other. Finally she glances back at Danny. With a grunt she turns and marches off in to the darkened corridor to the right.

Hoodie just stares off after her. Only when she hears a door slam does she turn her attention back to the prisoner.

“You have to forgiver her. This is all rather strange.” She offers in a even tone.

Danny snorts. “your telling me.”  sighing. “Why am I in this cell?”

Hoodie just stares at her. Un blinking.  Danny suddenly wished she was staring down cheeks….. Cassandra again. Facing bulls, she knew but hoodie. Hoodie made her skin prickle.

After what felt like minuets she turned and moved to the far wall. Danny watched as she un hooks a set of shackles and walked back over to her.

She hands them through the bars.

Danny raised an eyebrow at her.

“Put them on and we shall take a walk.”

_Your in a damn cell. Walk sounds good._

“Fine but if you ask me to sit or fetch I’m going to need a good scratch behind the ear first.”

A delicate eyebrow rises.

Take the cuffs  Danny fasten them to her wrist. There heavy. Once there on she holds them up to show the woman.

Danny watched as hoodie produces a set of keys and unlocks the cell door.

“Come.” She steps a side. Allowing Danny to step out.

Hoodie starts to walk back the way she entered. Danny follows on slightly behind her.

As they made their way down the darken corridor she spots one hell of a creepy stone statue. “What the hell is that?” Uneasy doubling with in her.

Hoodie doesn’t answer and just keeps walking.

Once they reached a set of stairs leading up. Danny can see a large wooden door at the top of them. Hoodie pushes it open and holds it a jar for her to walk through.

They walked into a huge stone  hall like room. There were candles lit everywhere, strange women wearing red and white robes. Hoodie leads Danny to two large wooden doors. She pushes one open Danny quickly had to shield her eyes from the blinding light that poured through.

Danny took two steps forward. It was freezing. Absolutely freezing.

She slowly lowered her hand and tried to open her eyes. Blinding white.

“Shit.” Danny dropped her head down and pulled her hands up in front of her eyes and tried again to slowly open them. Once she could see her fingers she slowly parted them letting bit by bit more light in.

White. The ground she was stand on was white. She dropped her hands completely to her side.

Danny new her mouth was hanging open but what the hell.

She just stares at the scene in front of her.

The world seem to slow. White. It was snowing, there were pine trees dusted in snow all around them. They were in what appeared to be a wooden town, a wooden town? There were people everywhere milling around but what ….. what were they wearing?… Danny’s eyes shot up to the sky. A series of snow covered mountains encircled them. But the real kicker was what Danny could only describe as a huge, huge green swirling light in the sky. It was spinning & crackling like flames of a fire, there were large no huge chunks of rock spinning in the air around this green whirling light.

Danny’s breath was coming faster. Quicker as she stared around her. People were stopped and now staring at her. She stepped back. She couldn’t breathe.

“Wh…..What…..” She couldn’t breathe, head spinning, shaking. Eyes watering. Heart pounding.

A man was moving towards her but she couldn’t look at him, her version blurring, shaking. She couldn’t think, she falls to her knees. She couldn’t breathe. Tears.

_Stop Stop Stop you fool why cant I stop. Breathe…. breathe._

Someone’s in front of her. Blocking the view. Mumbling.  _Why couldn’t she control her hands._

She vaguely feels something being thrown over her. Warm. Earth. _Breath Damn it Danny breathe_. Hands pull her up but her legs give out and she crumbles. Lifted…. lifted.

Metal horses earth warm. Dark.

 

***************************************

She’s still shacking. Tears still streaking down her face. _Criste she’s whimpering like a baby. Your acting like a fool Danny._

She has her knees pulled to her chest her arms tightly gripping them. She screws her eyes shut again. _Horses._ She can smell horses. Warm. Horses. Her lip quivers. She breaths in concentrating on the smell. Straw horses. She breaths. Her head hurts.

She vaguely aware of mumbling.

 She dips her head lower. Horses its around her. She pulls it closer. Inhaling the familiar sent. Leather earthly horses. Its soft against her face. It clings to her tear shocked checks.

She lets a shaky breath out. She vaguely aware of sounds around her. She’s rocking back and forward. She bearers her face in the soft …… fur? In haling deeply. Horses a familiar comforting sent. Another shaky breath quivers free.

A memory of bearing her nose in Oasis’s neck the feeling of her mane her fur against her face. The smell of dirt horses hay. Comfort. She can breathe.

She wipes at her cheek. Wet.

She can hear voices mumbling. Eyes still closed. She tries to listen.

“What were you thinking?”

“How was I to know?”

Mumbling she couldn’t make it out. Male female?

“She’s terrified.”

Male. A male voice.

“She says she a solider.”

Female.

Silences.

She tired. Hungry tired.

Foot steps echo. Leaving or coming?

Mumbling ………..”Chancler…” Mumbling.

 A growl. Male.

“Makers breath fine.” More mumbling.

Foot steps …… Leaving. Alone quiet.

Danny lowers her self down on to the straw. Pulling the fur closer around her face burring down in to it. Horses earth metal straw hay. Tired.

Sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

“Iras ma ghilas, da'len.

Ara ma'nedan ashir

Dirthara lothlenan'as

Bal emma mala dir”

A soft sweet voice sang.

Danny shifted sitting up.

“You’re awake.”

She blinked slowly trying to get her eyes to focus on the person speaking to her.

_It’s the elf. The one, the one that helped you._

“Are ….. are you ok?”

Danny just nodded. “Yeah, I ….” She sighed.

The beautiful red-haired elf smiled at her scooching closer to the bars. She was sitting cross-legged outside Danny’s cell. Large doe-like eyes studying her. She had a very intricate tattoo’s across her forehead, a series of lines reaching up to her temples there was even what looked like an upside down love heart, of sorts, on her chin.

Danny smiled. “Are you ok?”

“Yes. I mean I guess I’m not the one in the cell.” She looked down at her hands then back up to Danny. “The….the Commander told me what happened. I’m so sorry, Leliana should not have done that.”

“Leliana? Purple hoodie?”

“Yes, that’s her.” Danny couldn’t help but smile as she watched the young elf tremble slightly at the mention of purple hoodie.

“I’m.” She sighed again. “I’m ok just really confused and hungry but mostly confused.”

The elf’s eyes widen. “Oh, Creators I’m sorry where are my manners, I forgot. Cassandra said you hadn’t been fed.” She cringed at her words. “sorry.” She stood and walked over to a table that was up against the far wall and picked up a bowl and a …… water skin like thing. She turned around and walked over to the bars. Danny stood up. The warm fur shirt thing she had around her slipped off her shoulders as she walked over to the bars. “Here. Ohh it might be cold. Ummm, hold on. She went to dip her finger into the bowl then stopped and looked at Danny. “Do… Do you mind?”

Confused Danny just shook her head. Her stomach started growling at the mere thought of food.

She watched as the elf slipped her finger into the bowl and started swirling it around.

“There. Much better.” She practically beamed at Danny as she stepped forward and handed the bowl through the bars and then the water skin.

“Thank you.” Danny quickly spun and sat back down on the straw bed. She placed the water skin beside her and pulled the fur coat back up over her shoulders and brought the bowl to her lips. It smelt divine. She took a sip and was surprised it truly was warm the perfect temperature. She took a long drink. It was heaven sent. Warm thick soup of sorts. She tasted vegetable and perhaps some sort of meat. She didn’t care it was food and it was divine. A small moan left her lips as she continued to drink. The elf sat down in front of her cell again and smiled as she waited for Danny to finish.

It didn’t last as long as she would have liked it too, but still, it was food. She sighed and sat the bowl down in front of her.

“Thank you, truly.”

Bell giggled “Your welcome it’s just broth.”

“I don’t care its perfect.”

“I will let the cooks know.”

Danny laughed. “Yes, the strange prisoner greatly enjoyed your broth.”

The elf laughed. She shook her head.

“I’m Bell by the way. I didn’t, we didn’t get a chance to…” She glanced to the side then back to Danny. “You know, introduce our selves.”

Danny chuckled. “No, we didn’t. Danny.” She picked up the water skin. “That wasn’t a dream was it?”

“No. I mean it’s where we dream but we …. We were really in the beyond like walking in the beyond.”

“Beyond?”

“hmm?” Bell looked at Danny with concern in her eyes. “Do you call it something else? Oh the fade that’s what Cassandra calls it”

"Wha,t no I… I've never heard of the beyond or the fade." She groaned. Her heart was racing again.

Bell watched Danny’s emerald green eyes sparkling in the torchlight.

“None of this makes any sense to me.” Danny closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing.

“I’m sorry. If it helps none of this is making much sense to me either.”

Danny opened her eyes. “Really?” asking with concern.

Bell just nodded her head. After a moment she started fiddling with a loose thread on her leggings. “four days ago I was just a dalish apostate sent to the conclave by my keeper. Four days ago I was terrified I would be caught or killed by templars or slavers. I wake up today and everyone is bowing and calling me a dalish mage, the Herald of Andraste. I found my self-standing in a room with the right and left hand of the divine and a former Knight Commander Templar looking to me to help save the world.” She laughed and then looked away.

Danny thought she could see Bell’s lip quivering as she spoke.

“You were at the conclave Cassandra was talking about?”

She just nodded her head.

“Four days ago I was sitting in a car with my unit and Alex. We were listening to music and joking around. Now I’m in a cell in a world I have no idea about.” Danny’s voice broke at the mention of her unit.

Bell finally looked back to Danny. “you really think that?”

“Think what?”

“That this is another world?”

Danny smiled at her. “Well as crazy as it sounds yeah.” She laughs. “For starters, we certainly don’t have elves where I come from.” She stops, her mouth went dry. “Shit that that wasn’t rude was it? I mean are you an elf?”

_Shit Danny great just great the first person to actually talk to you and you go call them an elf._

Bell laughed. “No definitely not rude. I am an elf.” Her eyes widen. “Wait you really don’t have elves?”

Danny shook her head. “Nope. I mean we have made up stories about them but they're all fictional.”

“Creators, I mean, no elves.” Bell looks shocked.

Danny laughed at her.

“Really no elves?” Bell had a look of disbelief.

“Nope and we most definitely don’t have swirling vortexes of angry green lights in the sky either.”

Bell laughed again. “That’s actually new for us too.”

“Really?”

She nodded her head. “This too.” She held up her right hand. She had been cradling it in her lap. It had what looked like a slash from one side of her palm to the other and the same angry green light emanated from it.

“Holy shit!” Danny couldn’t help but shout.

Bell let out a huff. “Yeah.”

“Shit Bell was that?……. Does it hurt?”  Danny stood and moved to the bars separating her and Bell. She crouched down in front of the elf.

Bell looked down at her hand then back to Danny. “It did I mean it does. Once we sealed the breach it settled down. Now it’s sort of like a dull ache.”

Danny sat down in front of Bell. She stretches out her hand to take Bells glowing hand in hers. Without a second thought, Bell placed her hand into Danny’s. Danny let her thumb slide over the glowing mark. She could feel a slight tingle through her glove all most like an electric pulse.

Bell let out a sigh.

Danny shot her eyes up to meet Bell’s.

Bell smiled. “It's ok. I just wish I knew what it was. Do you remember what happened in the beyond?”

“The spider place?” Danny let her hand go and sat back.

Bell nods.

“I ……. Sort of. I remember you and the spiders. Then that glowing figure on the stairs. But I was hurt pretty bad. If it wasn’t for you I…. I”

“You were! I remember.” Bell cut her off. Her eyes widen as she took Danny in again. “But, but you're healed now? You're ok?”

“Yes. I mean, yeah.”

A door slammed. Both women jumped at the sound.

Footsteps approached them.

“Herald?” 

Bell stood. Danny glanced in the direction of the corridor. She watched as Leliana emerged from the shadows. She stood up as the purple hooded woman approached once again.

“Leliana.” Bell dipped her head at her.

Leliana turned to the cell Danny was in. “I’m glad to see you are awake.”

“Thanks, I think.”

Leliana turned back to Bell. “Herald, we need your assistance in the war room.”

“Oh. Umm ok, do I need anything?”

“No, just your presence will suffice.”

Bell nodded. She turned back to Danny. “I will come back as soon as I can. I promise.” She smiled at the other woman.

Danny returned her smile. “Thank you again for the broth and water.”

Bell giggled. “I will thank the cook for you.”

Danny laughed.

Bell turned back to Leliana. “War room?”

Danny couldn’t help but feel on edge under Lelianna’s gaze.

But the purple hooded women just nodded and turned to walk back the way she came with the sweet red-haired elf.

Danny watched the two disappear of again from view. When she heard the door close again and silenced enclosed her once again. She let out a sigh to the empty cells around her.

“Well, she was nice.” She turned around and walked back to her straw bed and picked up the coat and waterskin. She sat back down on the straw and pulled the coat around her shoulders. Losing herself in thoughts of beyond with swirling lights, then home.

 

 ************************************

Bell- Herald of Andraste

 

She could hear her keepers voice in her head as she stood there in front of the three advisers. _‘Shoulders back, head high Lethallan. Stop your fidgeting.’_

She couldn’t help but sigh as she stared down at the map of Ferelden. She had one of the Commander's little map markers in hand and was fiddling with the spikes while trying to listen to three advisors arguing about what course of action to take with scouting the Hinterlands.

She couldn’t help but let her mind slip to the strange human woman Danny. Could she really be from another world? Her clothes were so different. Strange cream and tanned patterns all over. Her gloves, when she took her hand had felt strange.

Someone cleared their throat. Bell eyes snapped up to find three sets of eyes on her. She felt her cheeks heat.

“I’m, I’m Sorry.” She shuffled back slightly from the table.

“It’s quite all right Herald.” The Commander spoke while he shifted on his feet on the other side of the war table.

_Templar, no an ex-Templar Bell._

Even with knowing that fact she still couldn’t help the unsettling feeling that surrounded her as he stood there looking at her. An apostate, a dalish elf that had been taught to run all her life at just the mere mention of them. Now she stood across the table from a former Knight Commander no less. With one motion he could strip her of all her power rendering her defenceless. She felt the hairs raise on her arms. She felt a new wave of fear coursed through her at the mere thought.

He offered her a smile, but she quickly glanced back down at the token in her hand. She hoped they couldn't see how much her hands were shaking.  

His voice filled the space once again. “I.. a …As I was saying there are still a great many rifts in the surrounding areas that we need to address as soon as possible. Herald, I believe it's in our best interest to see to them before you head to the Hinterlands. What good is it if our own point of command is under threat while we try and secure lands else were?”

She nodded to herself listening to him. She chanced a glance at the former Knight Commander. His amber eyes met hers.

She could feel her ears heat.

“I … I agree Sir... I er mean Knight…” She blushed further. “Commander!” She half shouted. “Creators.” She was sure every inch of skin showing was a bright shade of red no doubt matching her hair. She let out another shaky breath and squeezed the little metal token tighter in her hand. She heard giggling and glanced up. The Commander had a look of shock? No concern maybe but the two ladies were smiling at her Lady Montilyet had a hand half covering her mouth as she tried to hold back any further laughter.

She sighed and looked back down at the map. When she finally managed to work up the nerves to speak again her voice trembled and was so soft. “I.. I will try and close as many rifts as I can Commander while we wait for Sister Leilana’s scouts to report back on the situation in the Hinterlands.” She didn’t dare look up as she spoke. “How…how much time will you need to organize the men needed to accompany me?”

“We can be ready at first light Herald if it suits.” His voice was softer but she still didn’t chance to look up at him.

“It suits.” She felt the spikes of the token bite into her palm.

“Well, now that’s sorted. Is there any other matters we need to discuss?” Lady Montilyet asked across from her.

She heard the other two advisers agree that was all for the day. Followed with the shuffling of papers.

She quickly turned around pulling the heavy wooden door open and slipped through without looking back, she needed open air, space & quiet. She quickens her pace heading for the large wooden doors leading out of this stone building. A few sisters bowed their heads to her as she passed them. She pulled the heavy door open and the afternoon light greeted her.

Be it that most of the sky was taken up by angry swirling grey clouds, but the sun was setting slowly behind the vast mountain range. She quickly headed down the path that leads out of Haven.

She spotted Varric to her right adding a log to a campfire outside the tavern, a large ram was on a spit hanging above the flames.

She quickly scooted around and made for the large towering wooden gates.

_Was she even allowed to leave Haven?_

She hesitated for a brief moment.

“Herald?” It was the Commander. Bell could hear his footsteps crunching in the snow as he approached her. “Here allow me.” The Commander moved up beside her and pushed open the large door for the Herald to step through. She felt her cheeks heat as she stepped through. Bell kept her eyes cast down under his watch.

“Th-thank you.” She whispered softly to him.

Then she was off. As quick as her legs could move without breaking into a sprint, she made for the trees on the far right side of the clearing. Away from the noise of steel clashing, the cry of the wounded and away from the golden hair Commander. She only slowed when she reached the cover of the pines. She pushed further forward past an old wooden cabin through the safety of the Havens outer gates out, away. She wasn’t sure how long she had been walking, the only sound she could hear was that of her own steps in the crisp snow underfoot and the wind and the pines moving together.

She sighed.

“Herald of Andraste,” Bell spoke to the trees around her. She shook her head. “Just how am I a Herald of Andraste?"  She stopped in a snow-covered field, the trees swayed around her. There were a few druffalo grazing off up one of the hillsides. She could hear what sounded like rams butting heads to her right. There was a large stone bolder on the other side of the snow covered field. She moves towards it and climbed up. Once on top, she let a small fire spell flow from her letting it swirl around her, melting away the snow below her heating the stone slightly underfoot. She sighed as she sunk down on the now warm rock surface. She sat quietly and watched the large hairy druffalos nosing snow out of the way to reach the snow-covered grass below.   A smile reached her lips as she watched them work. They were not as graceful as the Hella but what they lacked in grace they made up in sheer size and strength. Every now and then the air would be filled with their calls to one and other.

Bell was reminded of the many days she spent in the green dales. She would spend every moment she had free watching the herds grazing the versa seas of grass.

She hugged her knees to her chest and watched the beasts moved around in front of her. What had she gotten herself in to?

 

    ***********************************

Cullen – The Commander

 

He shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet trying to ignore the tightening feeling building up in him. The sun started to finally fall below the mountainside and plunge Haven once again into eerie green darkness.

The Herald had been gone now for all most two hours.

His patrols had reported back that she was only just outside the walls collecting elfroot but it did little to help settle this growing fear within him. She was their only hope. The Herald sent to save them.

He let a sigh escape.

_He couldn’t help but worry could he?_

She had practically run from him at the gates. For days now they had watched all manner of beasts & demons fall from the sky rifts opening up all around them. With no end in sight. He had watched the small army he had created be obliterated before him. Men and women he had known by name. They had entrusted their lives with him. He had failed them. For days he stood with them on these war-torn battlefields trying to hold back the tides of demons brought down on them. To only watch one by one as they fell around him once again. With no help in sight, all he could do was hold fast with what little resources they had. Then she was there. _Just like she was._

He fought to hold his ground to defend the few remaining soldiers with him. She had fought alongside them casting barriers over him and the remaining soldiers. Aiding where she could, then without warning, she had thrust her hand to the sky and connected with the very rift they had been battling against. With a simple flick of the wrist, one last all mighty crack the rift was sealed with a burst of light. Gone. He had stared at the space that once held the rift with a mixture of shock and awe.

He cast another glance to the path leading out of the training fields.

He growled at himself. If anything untoward were to happen.

“Maker help me.” He spun around and started for the trees.

_Surely she can understand the risk & the danger she was needlessly placing herself in._

Shouting over his shoulder to his nearest lieutenant to take over the last of the drills. He continued down the path out of Haven.

There had been reports of bandit attacks on their supply lines but they had all been further afield. You would have to be a daft man to attack so close to Haven. But the Herald, now she would be an easy target. A lone elf straying too far from her clan & the safety of Havens walls. 

He was outside the gates before he realised he had passed under the large wooden gates. He was standing in a snow covered field. He stopped and looked around him.

“Herald?” He called out.

_Where was she?_

Cullen couldn’t help but feel the uneasy churning deep within him.

He started forward again. The only sound was of his boots crunching through the snow.

“Herald, is everything all right?” He called out to the wind.

His eyes scanning the landscape before him. He heard a rustling to his right. He instinctively reached for his sword.

He steadied his stance bracing for the worst.

_Why didn’t he bring his shield?_

Just as that thought past through his mind the rustling started again. He unsheathed his sword. Taking a tentative step forward.

A wild goat made a break from under its cover in the underbrush, he caught his action as he watched the animal dash of around him. He turned to watch it flee.

_Maker._

He cursed himself. He all most attacked a goat. Shaking his head he started forward once again out into the open snow covered fields. He watched as the pines swayed in the wind around him. 

The air was getting colder as the sunset.

“Herald?” He called out once again.

“Co…Commander?”

He spun around with his sword in hand. There on the other side of the clearing was the Herald. Arms teeming with an array of all manner of plants.

He watched her take him in. Her eyes wide she flicked from him to the sword.

He lowered it.

“Herald. There you are I.” He stopped. Clearing his throat. “I. I was worried it's, it's not safe to be outside the gates at night.”

She nodded casting her eyes down to the bundle of plants in her grasp than ever so softly she added. “O…of course I.” Her cheeks flushed. “I was just heading back. Adan is running low on supplies for his elixirs and I figured I was best suited to gathering what he needed.” Her eyes flicked up to his again. “It’s umm what I know.” Her eyes flicked between his and the sword

Silence enclosed them.

“I… I .. should.” She gestured past him with her overburdened hands.

“Yes... Here, I could help.” He took a step towards her. Sword still in hand.

She immediately took a step back from him.  He stopped dead. Watching her.

“Herald.” He spoke as softly as he could. She was glancing between his feet and the path around him.

He let out a sigh.

He felt as if one wrong move and she would startle. Run from him again.

Memories of apostates brought before him. Flashed before his eyes. The fear in their eyes as he towered above them begging for their freedom. He glanced at Bell once again she had that very look in her eyes. She saw a Templar before her.

"I….." He stopped again. He cast his eyes down.

_Where did he even begin?_

He tried to sort through the best way to approach this. But was pulled from his thoughts by her soft voice.

“I… I’m sorry Commander I didn’t… I didn’t mean to offend.”

He glanced up at her again. Her cheeks were bright red again. A strong contrast to the snow-covered field around them. Curls of burgundy coloured hair were being swept around her by the winds as she stood there. He couldn’t help but let a small smile creep to his lips as he watched them dance around her. Her hair was like his.

“There’s no need to apologise Herald.” He felt the weight of his sword in hand. He glanced down at it. "I…I don't want you to fear me." With that, he shifted his sword. He looked back up to her to find large emerald green eyes watching him. “This... this is. All new for me to. I…." He stopped, words. What were the right words? He glanced down again to his feet. “Please I…”

He glanced up at the sound of snow crunching. She was taking slow measured steps towards him.

She stopped a few feet from him. Emerald green eyes blinked at him. “Bell.”

He blinked at her at a loss.

A soft smile touched her lips. “Bell.” She said again. She made to move her hands but a few bits of elfroot and what appeared to be bits of bark fell from her grasp. The smile was replaced with a frown.

He chuckled watching her try and bend down to retrieve them unsuccessfully as more manage to free themselves from her grasp. He took a step forward and crouched before the overburdened elf. He quickly picked up the few pieces that remained elusive to her grasps.  He caught her eyes once again as he peered up at her as she stood up.

“Cullen.” He smiled at her as he too straightened. He towered over her. But this time she meets his eyes and smiled.

“Cullen.” His name sounded sweet if not softer as she tested it.

She glanced away from him then turning her body slightly to face the path that would lead them back to Haven. She glanced back to him. She smiled.

He turned and started to walk back towards Haven and he couldn't help but notices the small thump in his heart as she fell in step beside him as they made their way back into Haven.

 

 

 

******************************

Rising Sun

 

Danny hummed to herself as she ran her hands through her matted hair. Her gaze set on some distant horizon she could not see.

She sighed.

Once she was satisfied she had combed her hair to the best of her ability she set to platting a loose half sideways plat. Using her elastic band to secure it in place.

She just stared off into the distances again. Her mind was like a stormy sea of thoughts chopping and changing. Crashing down on her. She was drowning within them gasping for air.

This couldn’t be real. Yet here she sat in a stone iron cell. Her heart ached. Her mind hurt.   

She only half heard the door squeak to life. But was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of footsteps approaching.

She stood up as they neared.

A wide smile spread across her face when she spotted Bell walking from the gloom.

She was carrying a huge pile of blankets and balancing on top was two bowls. Danny licked her lips unknowingly as she watched the young elf make her way to her.

“You came back.” Danny beamed at Bell.

“Of course.” Bell smiled over the top of her bundle. “I promised didn’t I”

She set the pile down on the table on the far wall. Danny watched her as she picked up the bowls and sat them down to one side she then picked up a piece of folded cloth. It looked like it had once been a deep navy blue but was now a soft washed out blue. She held it up and walked over to the cell.

“I found this.” She was smiling as she neared the bars.

Danny couldn’t help but smile back at her. She moved up to the wall of bars.

“I’m sure it’s going to be way too small but it's all I could find.” She handed the cloth through the bars to Danny.

“You… you don’t have to do this.” Danny took the piece. It was rough but thick material. She held it up. It was a cloak.

“Wow.” Danny smiled and pulled the fur cloak weird thing off her shoulders and sat it on the straw pile, she swung the cloak around her. It was thick and yes it was small on her build but it was made to billow out around the wearer. She pulled it on over her shoulders and beamed up at Bell.

“It's perfect. Thank you.”

Bell giggled. “ I’m glad you like it.” She turned and walked back over to the table. She picked up what Danny thought was a blanket of sorts and one of the bowls. “I passed on your compliments to the cooks. She was quite arr amused by your praise.”

Danny laughed. “I’m sure she was.”

“I told her that you were with me in the beyond & helped me.” She insisted I bring you this.” She passed Danny the bowl and the blanket.

The blanket was heavy and much thicker than the cloak. The bowl was lovely and warm as well.

“Thank you.” Danny just stood there watching the other woman.

Bell turned back around and picked up the other blanket, she unfolded it & wrapped it around her shoulders. She then picked up the remaining bowl and walked back over to the cell. She smiled at Danny.

“I.. I’m really glad you. You came back.” Danny didn’t mean to let her voice quiver.

“I promised I would.” Bell dropped her gaze and started to settle herself on the stone floor in front of Danny. Danny followed suit. “Besides. It's not every day you meet someone physical in the beyond.”

Danny laughed. “It was definitely a first for me.”

Danny lifted the bowl to her lips in thought. It was the warm broth from before. She let another sigh escape.

Bell giggled. “Me too.” She took a sip from her bowl.

Danny watched the elf take her sip. She dropped her gaze. “It's all so confusing. I keep trying to piece it all together but it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Bell lowered her bowl. Her shoulders dropped in thought as she looked at Danny. “If it helps it doesn’t make much sense to me either. I mean I feel like I’m missing something. Some important piece of information. It’s like it’s there then it’s gone.”

“Yes, yes that’s it.” Danny shook her head. “I mean how.”

Bell let her eyes glance to the side, shaking her head. “The beyond it, it can be.” She stopped and took another sip from her bowl in thought. “It can be.” She sighed. “Well, it can be a lot of things. It can be a place of peace and calm but then it can be in a perpetual state of turmoil to others.”

Danny took a sip from her bowl. “Like a dream?”

Bell’s eyes snapped to Danny’s. “Yes, it is where we dream.”

Danny shook her head. “We, we don’t have anything like the beyond where I come from. We just dream in our heads, minds.”

“No beyond?”  Bell was watching her intensely.

Danny offered a smile. “No beyond.” Taking another sip of her broth. “In the beyond I. I was hurt. Wasn’t I?” Danny looked down at her arm. “I mean I remember being injured. But now.”

“You were. Your. Your left side was. You were.” A look of sadness and mix of confusion on her face as she spoke.

“But I’m not now.”

"No, you’re not.” Bell tilted her head once again at Danny.

“How is that even possible?” Danny shifted uneasy bubbling again within her.

“I can ask Adan or Solas if you like? I’m sure one of them healed you, if not I’m sure they will know who did. Will that help?” Bell was looking at Danny with concern.

“Yes. No, wait.” Danny took a deep breath and tried to steady her thoughts. “So I’m going to try and explain this as best I can. I’m sure I’m going to sound like a half madman but I … My head… this, this is just too much.” The uneasy adding to the stormy turmoil within her. Danny kept her eyes screwed shut not wanting to see Bell’s concern or confuse whatever she was thinking right now. She needs answers and hell she needs them more then she needs air.

“Ok.” Bells soft voice washed over Danny lessoning the storm slightly within.

Danny sighed. “ Healed.” She took a breath. “When you say healed what do you mean?” Danny refused to meet Bells eyes. She was scared. Memories of her dad play at the back of her mind.

_“….right my little star so what do we do?” His steel blue eyes searching her face waiting for the answer._

_“We, we rule out what we know”………. Danny picked up her hat from the dirt ground hitting it against her leg sending a cloud of red dust flying into the air around her._

_“Right and?” He took her hat from her hands. Her started folding the edges back into shape._

_“Work out whatever is left, however improbable it is, assume it is probable no matter how fucked up it is.” She turned beaming up at him._

_He let out one of his ‘’want to be Santa laughs’’ as she called them. He flopped her hat back on her head slightly askew. “Right.” He straightens her hat. “Right. So let's go track down that fucked up improbable arse of a dog.” He turned around one foot in the stirrup and swung himself up into the saddle. “But arr don’t tell your mother.”_

_Danny giggled and followed suit mounting up. She pulled her hat down firmly on her head. “Roger that. No dog tails to Mumma bear.”_

_He laughed, nudging Digger his horse forward. “Right and arr no swearing.” He winked at her. She just laughed and followed on behind him………_

 

 “Heal.” Bell paused. “As in whoever used magic to heal you?”

_Shit fuck shit fuck fucked up improbable arse dog._

“Magic?” her voiced squeaked. “as in abracadabra pouf magic?” She chanced a glance up at Bell. She was staring dead at her. No jest in her eyes.

“I…I don’t know what abra is. But yes magic.” Bell’s eyes searched Danny’s. “Danny you said your world, it didn’t have elves, do…. are you saying.” She stopped, glanced away but quickly turned back to Danny. “Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

Danny sucked her bottom lip in and held it there. Finally, she let it go along with the held breath. “We don’t have magic.”

Bells eyes widen in absolute shock. “No magic. None?”

Danny just nodded.

“None? No mages?” Bell’s mouth was agape.

“Nope. I .. I thought I miss heard Cheeks… ar Cassandra sorry …mages are a thing here?” Danny couldn’t believe it, this was just too, too everything.

“Ummm.” Bell looked away from Danny all of a sudden looking slightly sheepish. “Yes. We I. I am a mage.”

“What!” Danny’s eyes widen and she stood up. “No frigging way? You, wait… you're telling me you’re a mage that can do magic and stuff?” Danny moved over to the bars. Bell was still sitting down with her blanket wrapped around her.

“Yes. I was born with my gift. I ..I mean I didn’t. My magic surfaced when I was eight.”

Danny crouched down in front of Bell. Eyes wide. “Can. Can you show me? Please?”

Bell meet Danny’s gaze. “are you sure?”

Nodding her head. “Please.”

“All right umm ohh I know here.” Bell smiled and placed her bowl down next to her. She then brought her hands in front of her palms facing up.

Danny watched as two flames sprung to life in the elf’s hands. “whoah.” The flames danced in the woman’s hands floating just above her skin. As if fuelled by some unseen force. “Wow.” Danny glanced up at Bell. She laughed. “Holy shit.”

Bell smiled. “You’re, you’re not scared?”

“Noo arr no I mean yeah.” Her voice raised as she considered the question. Eyes flickering back to the flames. “I mean wow, holy cow you have flames in your hands.” Danny smiled as she looked up at Bell.

Bell returned the smile.

“Does. Does it hurt? I mean burn?” Danny’s face turned to concern as she looked at Bell.

“Ah no. I mean when I first came into my magic I set a lot of things on fire without meaning to.” She let a sly smile pass over her lips. “But I learned pretty quickly with my keeper’s help how to channel & control it. Now I can wield it with little if not no discomfit.”

Danny grinning like a Cheshire cat. “This is so cool.” She sat down on the stone floor with only a set of bars and a foot of space separating the two women. “Sooo is it just flames fire you can create? Can anyone use magic? Could I learn? Wait you said it surfaced when you were eight so babies can't cast? So is it like passed on through families? So not everyone can cast?.......”

Bell laughed. “slow down. I can’t understand you when you speak that fast.” She giggled again.

Danny blushed and reached for her braid. “Sorry. It's just wow. This is amazing. I… just knights in armour, weird lights in the sky and magic. This …..this is some crazy shit and wow just wow. None of this should be real or possible you know.”

Bell’s smile softens. “I’m sorry. I can't imagine what it must feel like.” She curled her fingers back into her palm and Danny watched as the flames were snuffed out and two little puffs of smoke rose into the air.  “what is your world like?” She picked up her bowl again and with one hand pulled her blanket back up on to her shoulders.

Danny sighed and turned leaning back and pulling her blanket back to her, positioning it around her again. “Well, no magic for starters.” She leaned back again and picked up her bowl. She took a sip from her bowl, tilted her head to the side in thought then spotted one of the torches flicking against the cells. “We have electricity.”

Bell blinked at her. “We have electricity. I mean I can create it.”

Danny’s eyebrows rose at Bells admission. “What?” She shook her head. “You can… No.” She laughed. “Umm, maybe a different type of electricity. Ours is made by different machines and is carried by cables to houses. We use it to light our houses, power our different machines, tech and stuff.”

“light? As in fire?” Bell asked in concern.

Danny laughed. “No no. It's safe. Its all contained. We have these bulbs that have a coil that heats up and lets the electricity make light. So no need for torches.”

Bell’s eyes were wide. “Wow. That’s amazing.”

Danny laughed. “Not really compared to you being able to create fire in your hands.” Danny took another sip of her bowl.

_Magic. Real magic._

“Gosh, the things you must be able to do here with magic.” Danny smiled at Bell. “All the things you can create, use & do. I mean you walk in the dark… No worries let me just puff fire.” She grinned at Bell.

Bell giggled.

“So fire, electricity, healing holy cow you can heal people?” Danny’s eyes lit up.

Bell smiled. “I can. Well, I have my limitations. I can heal but I’m much more at comfort with primal magic. The creation magic it, its much harder to connect with, channel.”

Danny was staring at Bell in awe with an intensity Bell hadn’t seen before. “This is amazing. So you think someone healed me?”

“Yes umm, Adan he is, well at the moment sort of the head healer for the Inquisition.” She giggled. “Though he made it quite clear its not his choice of profession.” She sighed. “He was tasked with watching over me after…. After I sealed the rift.”

“The glowy green thing in the sky?” Danny asks softly.

Bell nods then stops. “Yes and no, the breach is the big one in the sky its connected to the rift we fell through.”

Danny’s eyes widen. “That’s what we fell from, that angry green thing in the sky?”

Bell just nodded.

“Wait you said we were in the beyond?” Danny's voice was still soft.

“The breach is the hole in the veil from our world to the beyond. We apparently fell, ah stepped out of the rift that was attached to the breach.” Bell was fiddling with her now empty bowl in her hands.

_A hole in the sky leading from this world to…….._

“Is that where you got that.. that mark?” Danny frown as she watched Bell.

“Yes. I mean. I’m not sure. I had the mark when you found me, but I can't remember anything before that.” She let out a breath. “Danny…. I …I when we made our way up to the breach, when we tried to close it there were these images. They showed us things. Solas called them echoes. Danny, they were of me but I couldn’t remember them.” Tears formed in her eyes. She dropped her head closing her eyes trying to fight them back. “You were there. Do, do you remember anything?”

Danny’s heart clenched watching her. “Only what I told you. I mean I was hurt pretty bad, I could hardly see and the ringing. Gosh, I wish I could give you a hug.” Danny’s shoulders dropped. Tears forming in her own eyes. “A hug would be nice.”

Bell let out a half laugh. “A hug would be nice.” She looked up at Danny. Tears catching in her eyelashes.

“I …. I was at a checkpoint with my team. There was this woman. I don’t even know where to start explaining it. But I knew she didn’t belong. Then…” Danny dropped her head shaking it. Trying to hold back the tears. If she started she knew she would not be able to stop. “The pain it… I saw…. I……She stopped, she couldn’t, She couldn’t talk about it.

_No No No._

Taking a deep breath. She tried to steady herself. “I don’t know how I ended up here. I don’t know why. But I know you’re real and you helped me when you didn’t have to.” She laughed. “Hell I know I’m stuck here in this goddam cold ass cell but Bell please believe me. You're not alone. This shit is all kinds of weird. But we will work it out together.” She tried to give Bell a comforting smile.

Bell’s eyes soften as she looked at Danny. “Thank you.” She swiped at her nose. “I …I don’t know how much I can do but I will try and speak to Cassandra about this.” She gestured to the bars. “I mean it seems silly I’m out here, the Herald of Andraste and you’re here in a cell.”

“I don’t think that’s how they see it.” Danny offered another weak smile. “I’m a foreign soldier that’s refusing to tell them about my unit or army.” Danny sighed and looked down at her shoulder again at the two patches shining there in the torchlight. “I’m a lot of things Bell but I sure as hell won't be a traitor to my country. I.. I love my country and my teammates. I will not betray them.”

“Danny.”

Danny looked up at Bell.

“I will not let them hurt you. You have my word.” Bell crawled towards the bars and put her hand out touching Danny’s knee. “I promise.” Bell squeezed her knee.

Danny let out half a laugh and smiled at Bell. She took the elven woman’s hand and gave her a squeeze back. “Th-Thank you.” A tear slipped down her cheek. Her lip trembled. “Thank you.”

Bell smiled and squeezed her hand again. “Beyond friend.”

Danny laughed. “Beyond friend.”

Bell laughed. Then sighed. “I … I should get some sleep. You to. Creators only know  we have been t...” She stopped mid-sentence and laughed again. “To the beyond and back. Ha. Never would I have thought that could be actually true.” Her smile faulted. “I’m to try and close more rifts tomorrow.”

Still holding Bell’s hand. “More rifts?”

“Of course you wouldn’t know. There are hundreds if not more. When the breach opened it caused other rifts to open all over Ferelden if not all of Thedas. Leliana’s reports are not bringing me much comfort.”

“Hundreds? Shit Bell and they believe you’re the only one that can close them?”

Bell just nodded.

“You have others accompany you? I mean you will at least have a squad to protect you right?”

Bell raised an eyebrow and the other woman. “The.” She took a breath. “ I believe so the commander advised me he would have the men needed to accompany me.”

“Men? The Commander? There’s an army here? He better dam well take care of you or I swear to god I will personally……”

Bell laughed Then leaned forward and whispered all most. “Danny! Don’t he’s a former Knight Commander.”

“Knight Commander?” Danny raised an eyebrow at her.

Bell sighed. “I … I will explain next time.”

Danny nodded. “Right. Well, it still stands Bell. If you are not sure if you feel unsafe promise me you won't go or turn back ok.”

Bell smiled. “I swear.”

“Good!” Danny squeezed her hand again. “I don’t know where I would begin to find a new beyond friend you know.”

Bell laughed and let Danny’s hand go. “I promise.” She stood up. Pulling her blanket from around her and began folding it. Danny stood and started doing the same.

“Here.” Danny picked up her bowl and handed it and the blanket back to Bell.

Bell took the bowl. “No the blanket is for you. Would you like this one too?”

Danny pulled the blanket back towards her. “really? You won't get in trouble?”

Bell shook her head. “No.”

“Thank you. This one is more than fine. You keep that one so you have one to use when you come back.” Danny smiled.

Bell giggled. “Ok. Goodnight Danny.”

“Night beyond friend.”

Bell smiled and dropped her head. She turned and started to walk away.

“Stay safe k.”

“I will. You too, I will be back as soon as I can.” With one last smile, Bell turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Once again Danny was left alone but this time she smiled.

She turned around and started making up a bed with her now blanket and blue cloak. She laid down and folded up the fur shirt thing and snuggled into it. Once again welcoming the familiar smells. “please watch out for her. She’s all I got.” She whispered to the cold empty cells around her.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please hit that kudos button if you enjoyed it. Or feel free to leave a comment. It really does inspire us to keep writing knowing you are all here enjoying the story with us.  
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